NASAs Mars Science Laboratory, dubbed Curiosity, is being sent on a two-year mission to the Red Planet, where it will

look for signs of past or present microbial life in the 150 km-wide Gale Crater. SPACECRAFT Aeroshell consists of backshell and heat shield. Backshell houses parachute, rover and sky crane. Cruise stage provides power and propulsion for nine-month voyage.

Its a Curiosity
DESCENT SEQUENCE
Cruise stage separates from aeroshell, craft turns heat shield towards planet.
Aeroshell enters atmosphere at altitude of 125 km and speed of 21,000 km/h. Four minutes after entry, craft slows to 1,700 km/h. Supersonic parachute opens at altitude of 10 km.

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Heat shield largest ever used in space diameter 4.5m

Landing site Gale Crater MARS

Nuclear power source 4.8 kg of plutonium dioxide. Generates electricity from heat of radioactive decay. Minimum lifetime 14 years. Rover dimensions Length 3 m Height 2.2 m

Speed slows to 2.7 km/h 20 metres above surface, rover descends on harness below sky crane. Rover wheels deploy.

Heat shield jettisoned 7 km above planet. Speed 576 km/h.

Navigation cameras

CURIOSITY ROVER Fifty seconds from Will study planet for landing, sky crane at least one Martian and rover drop away from backshell. year (equal to 23 Eight thrusters Earth months) ignite to control descent. Wheels: 50 cm diameter, each with its own drive motor.
Rover touches down 6.5 minutes after atmospheric entry. Harness released. Rover arm and mast deploy.
Sky crane ies o to crash land 150 m away.

Top speed 4 cm per second ChemCam Fires laser beam at small patch of rock. Vapourized material analyzed to identify composition.

Robot arm extends 2.3 m.

Turret: Contains magnifying camera, element-identifying spectrometer and tools for gathering rock samples.

Sources: NASA

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